Applicants feel positive about job fair

Linzey Scott traveled 40 miles to attend Friday’s job fair hosted by the Fallon Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by local businesses.

“It’s really informative, really good,” she said. ”It was very helpful, and I have a lot of business opportunities.”

Almost 30 businesses including state and federal agencies attended the job fair at The Wok Banquet Hall, but attendees also had time to attend resume-building and interview sessions before talking to the various firms.

Scott said she came to the one-day job fair prepared and dressed in an impeccable black dress suit. In hand were cover letters and resumes.

“I really helped to have them,” she said. “I didn’t have to go through a lengthy application process.”

Instead, she had more time to discuss her background and employment desires. Scott said she hopes her hard work pays off.

“One who was interested was in Hawthorne at the base, and others were from Fallon,” she said.

Scott was one of several hundred prospective employment applicants who attended the spring job fair. Like Scott, French was prepared with cover letters and resumes.

“I’m looking around, trying to go back to where I used to work, said French, who recently moved to Fallon from Winnemucca. “I’ve done health safety, administration and banking.”

French said she has prior experience in working with the banks.

Near the end of her morning at the job fair, French said she felt positive because she took time to prepare a good resume and dressed appropriately for the occasion.

Jim Busch said the interviewers and other people associated with the job fair were, what he called, courteous, professional, honest and open

“I have a few leads for jobs … at the base (Naval Air Station Fallon) and MSC (a Fernley industrial supply company). I like what they offer,” he said. “I did put in applications with Fallon Auto Mall and Rite Away because I was in car sales.”

Executive Director Natalie Parrish of the Fallon Chamber of Commerce said the job fair had a great turnout of businesses, and a steady flow of applicants attended in the morning.

“I’ve heard mostly positive feedback,” she said.

Parrish said Janess Print & Marketing, The Wok, Fallon Auto Mall, Right Away, MWR at Naval Air Station Fallon, Manpower, Western Nevada College and Patracorp sponsored the job fair.

Sgt. Curtis Kerner and Sgt. Sean Donahue of the Nevada Department of Corrections in Ely attended their first Fallon job fair. Kerner said the state has a critical shortage of correctional officers, especially at the Nevada State Prison in Ely. The shortage is so critical that a person has been hired by the state to recruit for new officers. Donahue, though, said they are recruiting for all prisons.

For the first two hours of the job fair, though, Donahue said he and Kerner talked to 18 people.

“Corrections is the best way for someone to become a state employee,” Donahue said, adding that newly hired correction officers must attend an eight-week course.

Joe Garrotto, a U.S. Forest Service district ranger in Winnemucca, said he had a list of possible employment openings and was showing applicants how to apply for positions through usajobs.gov.

“There are job openings around the state,” he said. “The reception (here) has been good, but some are disappointed we don’t have jobs in the area.”

While business and government representatives talked to applicants, Chamber intern Jasmine Gonzales presented classes on interviewing and resume preparation.

“I tell them to always smile, dress appropriately and just be yourself,” she said after one of the morning sessions.

Gonzales stressed that applicants should know something about the company and tell why they want to be hired by that particular firm.

“I think everyone is doing fine,” Gonzales said after she had helped an applicant.